How to rename photos on iPhone

The iPhone gives every photo a name like IMG_4821.HEIC, and the Photos app won't let you change it. Here are the ways that actually work — for one photo, for a batch, and for photos you haven't taken yet.

What the Photos app can and can't do

Open a photo and swipe up (or tap the ⓘ button). You'll see the file name, the camera details, the date and the location. You can change the date and location from here, and you can type a caption — but the file name is read-only.

A caption is useful for searching inside Photos, but it doesn't travel with the file name. AirDrop the photo to a computer or attach it to an email and it still arrives as IMG_4821.HEIC.

Rename one photo with the Files app

The Files app treats photos like any other document, so this is where renaming happens.

1. Open the photo in Photos and tap Share.
2. Choose Save to Files, pick a folder (On My iPhone or iCloud Drive), and tap Save.
3. Open the Files app and go to that folder.
4. Touch and hold the photo, choose Rename, type the new name and tap Done.

Batch rename with Shortcuts

Renaming photos one by one gets old after the third one. The built-in Shortcuts app can rename a whole selection and save the copies to a folder.

1. Open Shortcuts, tap + to create a new shortcut.
2. Add Select Photos and turn on Select Multiple.
3. Add Repeat with Each.
4. Inside the repeat, add Set Name. Set the name to something like Kitchen_ followed by the Repeat Index variable.
5. Still inside the repeat, add Save File, turn off Ask Where to Save, and choose a folder.
6. Run it, pick your photos, and the renamed copies appear in that folder.

You can add Current Date with Format Date to put a date in the name. The trade-off: you have to run it every time, and the photos stay unnamed in your library.

Batch rename on a Mac

If the photos end up on a Mac anyway, Finder is the fastest batch tool:

1. AirDrop or import the photos into a folder.
2. Select them all, Control-click, and choose Rename.
3. Choose Format, set Name and Index, type a custom name such as Smith-Kitchen, and click Rename.

You'll get Smith-Kitchen1.jpg, Smith-Kitchen2.jpg and so on, in the order the files are sorted.

Name photos automatically as you shoot

All of the methods above rename photos after the fact. If you take photos for work — job sites, inspections, repairs — it's easier to have the right name from the start.

That's what we built Shotfile for. You set a naming rule once, and every photo you take is named by it:

• Build the rule from project, client, date, time and number, in any order, in Settings › File Naming.
• Turn on Name Right After Shooting if you'd rather type a name for each shot.
• Rename a single photo, or select several and rename them together.
• You can show file names under each thumbnail in the album, and they're kept when you share, AirDrop or export a ZIP.

Not sure what rule to use? See our job site photo naming convention guide for examples by trade.

Shotfile: Rename Work Photos

Every photo named and filed by project as you take it. Free to try on iPhone.

Download on the App Store

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